Death of Prince William's godfather brings an end to dynasty

Greece's former king Constantine II, who died on Tuesday aged 82, was the last member of a century-long dynasty in power when a brutal army dictatorship seized control of the country in 1967.

A descendant of Denmark's royal Gluecksburg family, Constantine ascended the throne in 1964 at the age of 23 during one of the most turbulent periods in modern Greek history.

Constantine was less than a year old when his family fled to Egypt to escape the invading Nazis, who occupied Greece until 1944. He was six when they returned to a devastated country.

As crown prince, he was part of a three-man sailing crew that won a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Greece's first in nearly five decades.

A cousin of British monarch King Charles III, godfather to his heir Prince William and brother of Sofia, the mother of King Felipe VI of Spain, the ex-king was an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee from 1974.

Still styling himself "king", Constantine battled poor health in recent years.

Constantine was less than a year old when his family fled to Egypt to escape the invading Nazis, who occupied Greece until 1944. He was six when they returned to a devastated country.

As crown prince, he was part of a three-man sailing crew that won a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Greece's first in nearly five decades.

A cousin of British monarch King Charles III, godfather to his heir Prince William and brother of Sofia, the mother of King Felipe VI of Spain, the ex-king was an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee from 1974.

Still styling himself "king", Constantine battled poor health in recent years.